The use of magnetic tape cassettes and the like have ever increasing recent applications, the more recent of which is in video recording and playback. Usually the size of a magnetic tape recording and playback device substantially depends upon the size of the cassette used. With the increasing minitaturization of electronic parts (IC's etc.) and accordingly the recording and playback devices, ever smaller cassettes can be utilized. This can be seen in the small audio recorders presently on the market.
So to, in the video area, where handheld portable video recorders are available which, with the assistance of a video camera, allows for video recording. In such situations, a prolonged recording is often not involved so that a small cassette may be utilized. Accordingly, such portable devices are reduced in size and geared towards utilizing the relatively small cassettes.
As compared, in a large playback magnetic device, such as a home video device, a long play duration of the cassette is more often the case, as in movie cassettes, etc. Accordingly, in such a situation a minimum or larger standard size cassette is utilized.
Due to the different purposes of the magnetic tape devices, i.e., the portable recorder versus the home display, there has resulted in cassettes of one size being utilized in one and of another size in the other. The desire to have the portable video record somewhat small in nature has resulted in the use of a small standardized cassette. Whereas in the home video playback device, a larger standardized cassette is utilized. This leads to the result that the cassettes are not interchangeable between the devices, or requires that the portable device utilize a relatively large cassette, defeating an objective of the device.
Accordingly, it has become desirable to allow cassettes of the smaller, portable use type to be utilized in devices which normally take a larger standardized cassette. In this regard, there presently exists an adapter which is used to allow the smaller cassettes to be played in devices which use the larger cassettes. However, this adaptor is very complicated requiring gear transmission to equalize the tape winding distances and accordingly are very expensive, limiting their application.